Fuel burner



A. L. KERR March 13, 19734..

FUEL BURNER Filed June 29, 1931 INVENTOR ANDREW L. KERR. BY

ATTORNEY Patented Mai- 13,1034 D 1,950,300

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,950,800 rum. BURNER "Andrew L. Kerr, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to '1. E. R. Incorporated, San Francisco, Cahh, a corporation of California Application June 29, 1931, Serial No. 547,584

10 Claims. (01. 158-109) This invention relates to fuel bumersand parmy invention which I have selected for illustraticularly to burners for gaseous fuels such as tion in the drawing accompanying and forming natural gas. In the past there has been little part of the present specification. In said drawor no thought given to the development of burners ing, I have shown one form of my invention, but

l of this type for the cost of gas has prohibited it is to be understood that I do not limit myself its. use for industrial purposes. However, with to such form, since the invention as set forth in the piping of natural gas from various oilfields the claims, may be embodied in a plurality of to industrial centers its use has been made ecoforms. nomically possible and it will undoubtedly become Referring to the drawing:

1 a serious competitor of fuel oil provided that an Figure 1 is a side elevation of a burner, partly 0 eflicient gas burner can be developed. in section and in which are'embodied the novel I Upon investigation it has been found that alfeatures of my invention. though the oil burner art is very highly devel- Figure 2 is a front elevation of the burner oped, due to the inherent differences between the shown in Figure 1.

l5. characteristics of fuel oil and natural gas, there The burner shown in these figures comprises 70 is no burner now available in which gas can be a casing generally designated as 1, and in one end burned without leaving much to be desired. Fuel of which is a motor housing 2 containing a mooil for example must of necemity be atomized tor 3. A plate 4 serves to seal the open end of before it can be burned and therefore all oil bumthe motor housing 2 and carries a suitable bearers are provided with an atomizer. Gas, of course, ing 5 for the motor shaft 6 extending there- 70 needs no such treatment but it has a very marked through. The enlarged left hand end '7, of the tendency to stratify if not thoroughly mixed with casing 1 forms, with the dish shaped cover plate the air necessary to support combustion. Wheth- 8 secured thereto in any desired manner, a fan er oil or gas'is used, it is of course desirable not housing generally designated as 9. Screwed to 2! only that complete combustion be obtained but the plate 8 inregistration with the circular open- 80 also that the heat generated be as uniformly dising 11 is a collar 12 provided with threads 13. A sipated within the fire boxaspossible. Fire boxes frusto-conical nozzle 14 threadedly engages the differ greatly in size and configuration and therecollar 12 and is thereby capable of longitudinal fore it is advantageous to have a burner provided adjustment with respect to the plate 8. For'the 80 with adjustable means for controlling the angle purpose of securing the nozzle 14 in any adjusted 06 taken by the flame within the burner. The position, a spring clip 15 secured-to the plate 8 amount of heat delivered by a burner depends not is adapted to engage serrations 16, formed on the only upon the above factors but also upon the shoulder 1'1 of the nozzle. rate at which fuel is fed to the burner. In the To the free end of the motor shaft 6 seemed.

85 past, gas has been fed to a burner only at the nor by means of the set screw 21, is the hub 22 of a 00 mal line pressure. fan generally designated as 23. The fan is cast In general -the object of this invention is the integral with the hub 22 and comprises a disc 24 provision of a gas burner provided with means provided with ribs or vanes 25. As shown in dotfor feeding a combustible mixture at pressures ted lines in Figure 2 there are six vanes 25 radialabove the normal line pressure, to the burner ly and symmetrically arranged on the disc 24. It 95 nozzle and with adjustable means for delivering will be noted from Figure 1 that the depth of the the mixture from the mouth of the nozzle at any vanes 25 decreases from the center of the disc predetermined angle to thereby cause the flame outwardly. A dish shaped plate 26 provided with (and consequently the heat) to be dissipated as a circular opening 2'7, formed by the outwardly uniformly as possible throughout any particular turned flange 28, is secured'to the ribs or vanes 1 fire box. 25, and forms, with the vanes and the disc 24, v

More specifically one of the objects of my insector-shaped channels. Ag deflecting disc 31, vention is the provision within a burner nozzle ofv similar in every respect to the plate 26, is screwed simultaneously adjustable vanes for controlling to posts 32 carried by the cover plate 8.

the angle at which a combustible mixture is de- Formed integral with, and as an extension of, 105

livered from the nozzle. the hub 22, is a tapered mandrel 33 which ex- The invention possesses other-advantageous tends axially through the frusto-conical nozzle features, some of which, with the foregoing, will 14 and forms therewith what may be termed an be set forth at length in the following descripannular channel or space 34.

tion, where I shall outline in full that form of .At the mouth of the nozzle 14 and within the n annular space 34 are radially arranged deflecting vanes or plates 36 which are provided with cylindrical stems 37 journaled in the nozzle 14. Secured to the outer ends of the stems 37 are small gear wheels 38 which are adapted to mesh with gear teeth 39 carried by the ring 41. As shown in Figure 1 the ring 41 is rotatably disposed over' the end of the nozzle 14 and engages a head or shoulder 42 formed on the nozzle. The periphery of the ring 41 is provided with serrations which are adapted to accommodate the spring clip 43 to thereby retain the ring in any desired position. Due to this construction it is obvious that by merely rotating the ring 41, all of the vanes or plates 36 are simultaneously adjusted to increase or decrease the angle at which the combustible mixture is delivered or emitted from the nozzle. It is to be particularly noted that it is a predetermined mixture of gas and air that is deflected in passing through the end of the nozzle and not merely air alone or gas alone. This is of considerable importance, for by delivering an intimate mixture of gas and air from the nozzle there is little or no tendency for these two substances to stratify as is the case when they are delivered from the nozzle in two or more converging streams. The term combustible mixture" as herein used therefor designates an intimate predetermined mixture of gas and air or other source of oxygen.

The casing 1 is provided with a gas inlet 45 and an air inlet 46 which communicate, through channels 4'7 and 48 respectively, with the fan housing 9 and it is to be noted that the fan housing may be also considered as a mixing chamber. a

The operation of the burner as above described is as follows:

The motor 3 is first put into operation by means of the usual thermostatic switch and rotates the fan 23, as well as tapered mandrel 33, at a speed of from four to six thousand R. P. M. The gas is then turned on and, after passing through the inlet 45, the conduit 47, the fan housing 9 and the nozzle 14, is finally'ignited at the mouth of the nozzle either by means of the usual pilot light, or by means of an electric spark. Air is then introduced into the burner through the inlet 46, and, in passing through the fan housing 9, is thoroughly mixed with the gas. The combustltble mixture is forced through the annular space formed by the tapered mandrel 33 and the frustoconical nozzle 14 and is defiectedby the adjustable vanes or plates 36, at any predetermined angle into the furnace. The size and form of the furnace of course governs the adjustment of the vanes or plates 36 but because of the ease with which all of the vanes may be simultaneously adjusted and set at any predetermined angle, a standard burner may be efiiciently used in furnaces vary greatly in size and form. Furthermore, stratification of the gas and air is prevented due to the fact that these elements are delivered from the mouth of the burner as an intimate admixture thereby insuring perfect combustion.

It is to be noted that the normal line pressure of the gas is not depended on and that the pressure at which the combustible mixture is" delivered may be boosted to any extent permitted by the fan. Needless to say this enables a far greater number of B. T. U.s to be generated per given time than is possible by a gas burner operating at the normal line pressure.

The control mechanism forms no p rt 9! the present invention although the sequence of op-.

eration as above given is desirable to the normal operation of the burner as described.

I claim:

1. In a gaseous fuel burner, a mixing chamber for mixing air and gas into a combustible mixture, a nozzle associated with said chamber through which the combustible mixture is adapted to be passed, a plurality of radially disposed deflecting vanes rotatably secured within said nozzle by means of pins passing through the nozzle, gear wheels secured to the outer ends of said pins and a ring rotatably secured over the end of said nozzle and provided with gear teeth adapted to engage and rotate said gears to simultaneously adjust the angular position of said vanes.

2. In a gaseous fuel burner, a mixing chamber for mixing air and gas into a combustible mixture,

afrusto-conical nozzleassociated with said chamber; amandrel disposed within said nozzle and along its axis and defining therewith a substantially annular space through which the combustible mixture is adapted to be passed; and adjustable means disposed within said annular space for controlling the angle at which said mixture is emitted therefrom.

3. In a gaseous fuel burner, a fan housing and mixing chamber; a motor driven fan within said housing; a frusto-conical nozzle communicating with the housing; a mandrel secured to said fan and disposed within said nozzle and along its axis and defining therewith an annular space through which a combustible mixture is adapted to pass; and adjustable means disposed within said annular space for controlling the angle at which said mixture is emitted therefrom. I

4. In a gaseous fuel burner, a fan housing and mixing chamber; a motor driven fan within said housing; means for introducing air and gas into said housing; a nozzle communicating with the housing; a mandrel secured to said fan and disposed within said nozzle and along its axis and defining therewith an annular space through which the mixed air and gas is adapted to be passed; and adjustable means disposed within said annular space for controlling the angle at which said mixture is emitted therefrom.

5. In a gaseous fuel burner, a fan housing and mixing chamber; a motor driven fan within said housing; means for introducing air and gas into said housing; a frusto-conical nozzle communicating with the housing; a mandrel secured to said fan and disposed within said nozzle and along its axis and defining therewith an annular space through which the air and gas mixed'in said housing is adapted to be passed; and adjustable vanes disposed within said annular space for controlling the angle at which said mixture is emitted therefrom.

6. In a gaseous fuel burner, a mixing chamber; a nozzle associated with said chamber; a mandrel disposed within said nozzle and defining therewith a substantially annular space through which a combustible mixture is adapted to be passed;

means for boosting the pressure of said combustible mixture prior to its introduction into said nozzle and means disposed within said annular space for controlling the angle at which said mixture is emitted therefrom.

7. A gaseous fuel burner comprising a mixing chamber; means for introducing air and gas into said chamber; means within said chamberfor boosting the pressure of the mixture of air and gas passing therethrough; a nozzle in communimeans within said nozzle for controlling the angle at which the. incl is emitted therefrom.

1 8. A gaseous fuel burner comprising a mixing chamber: means for introducing air and gas into said chamber; means within said' chamber for boosting the pressure of the mixture of air and gas passing ther'ethrough; a nozzle in-communication with said mixing chamber and adjustable vanes within said nozzle for controlling the angle at which the fuel mixture'is emitted therefrom.

9. A fuel burner comprising an outer casing; a fan housing and mixing chamber associated with one end of said casing; a nozzle associated with said fan housing and fuel and air conduits formed as an integral part of said casing and establishing communication between the fan housing and the exterior of said casing.

10. A fuel burner comprising: an outer casing;

a fan housing and mixing chamber associated with one end of said casing; a motor housing disposed within said casing; fuel and air conduits formed between said outer casing and motor housing and integral therewith, said conduits communicating with the fan housing; a nozzle associated with said fan housing; a fan disposed within said fan housing and operatively connected to a motor disposed within said motor housing; a mandrel carried by said fan and extending through said nozzle to form an annular space therewith; a plurality of radially disposed vanes adjustably secured to the outer end of said nozzle and extending into the annular spaceformed between the nozzle and mandrel; and means disposed on the exterior of said nozzle for simultaneously adjusting the angularity of said vanes.

. ANDREW L. KERR. 

